X-Ray and Optical Polarization Aligned with the Radio Jet Ejecta in GX 339–4

Mastroserio, G.; De Marco, B.; Baglio, M. C.; Carotenuto, F.; Fabiani, S.; Russell, T. D.; Capitanio, F.; Cavecchi, Y.; Motta, S.; Russell, D. M.; Dovčiak, M.; Del Santo, M.; Alabarta, K.; Ambrifi, A.; Campana, S.; Casella, P.; Covino, S.; Illiano, G.; Kara, E.; Lai, E. V.; Lodato, G.; Manca, A.; Mariani, I.; Marino, A.; Miceli, C.; Saikia, P.; Shaw, A. W.; Svoboda, J.; Vincentelli, F. M.; Wang, J.
Bibliographical reference

The Astrophysical Journal

Advertised on:
1
2025
Number of authors
30
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We present the first X-ray polarization measurements of GX 339–4. IXPE observed this source twice during its 2023–2024 outburst, once in the soft-intermediate state and again during a soft state. The observation taken during the intermediate state shows a significant (4σ) polarization degree PX = 1.3% ± 0.3% and polarization angle θX = ‑74° ± 7° only in the 3–8 keV band. FORS2 at the Very Large Telescope observed the source simultaneously, detecting optical polarization in the B, V, R, and I bands (between ∼0.1% and ∼0.7%), all roughly aligned with the X-ray polarization. We also detect a discrete jet knot from radio observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array taken later in time; this knot would have been ejected from the system around the same time as the hard-to-soft X-ray state transition, and a bright radio flare occurred ∼3 months earlier. The proper motion of the jet knot provides a direct measurement of the jet orientation angle on the plane of the sky at the time of the ejection. We find that both the X-ray and optical polarization angles are aligned with the direction of the ballistic jet.